Families commonly keep dogs, cats, and other animals as pets. Over half of all American families own pets, and most consider their pets to be family members. Dogs are trained for recreational, sporting, or professional purposes. Dogs provide security to their owners. Cats are difficult to train, but instinctively help control the pest population in the home. Pets provide companionship to their owners. In return, pet owners provide food and shelter for their animals.
Pets generally live in the family home. Dogs and cats desire human companionship. Many dogs and cats attempt to sleep on the beds of their owners. Cats particularly enjoy being up above the ground. Pets bring dirt and fleas into their owners' beds. Accordingly, many pet owners provide each pet with a pet bed. Pet beds accumulate dirt, hair, dander, and oils from the pets' coats. Additionally, pet beds are prone to infestation by parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites.
Many existing pet beds allow for a portion, such as the cover, to be removed and washed, but do not allow for the complete bed to be washed. Soils, pests, and odors penetrate the washable cover and accumulate in the un-washable interior portion of the pet bed. Other existing pet beds cannot be washed at all. Fleece pet beds, for example, are difficult to clean and cannot be washed because the fleece will mat up. Orthopedic pet beds utilize a memory foam which is not washable. A need exists for a pet bed that is entirely washable.
Another drawback of existing pet beds is appearance. Pet owners want to coordinate the pet bed with the existing decor in the home. Many existing pet beds resemble an overstuffed pillow. The stuffed pillow may be surrounded by a raised bumper. The stuffed pillow pet beds look out of place adjacent to sleek modern furnishings. Other existing pet beds resemble scaled down human couches. However, matching the styling and color palette of the pet bed couch with the family's existing couches presents a challenge to pet owners. A need exists for pet beds featuring sleek, clean lines and reversible cushions to coordinate with contemporary furnishings.
Pets' joints ache as the pet ages. Even with some cushioning, sleeping on the floor becomes uncomfortable for older pets. Also, the firmness of the floor is not adjustable. With pets of any age, sleeping on the floor is cold in the winter and stuffy in the summer. The couch-like pet beds advantageously raise the sleeping surface of the pet off the floor. However, the firmness of couch-like pet beds is not adjustable. A need exists for a pet bed that has an adjustable firmness.
Owners commonly travel with their pets. To ride on common carriers, pets are placed in crates. The crates are not the pets' primary bedding and have unfamiliar smells. A need exists for a pet bed with a removable cushion to pad the crate during travel and provide comfort and familiarity to the pet during stressful travel.